I love crafts that use supplies lying around the house or the left-over ones. Paper bag puppets can be made with things you will have already plus it allows children to use their imagination and personalize each of the puppets. Extend the activity to plan a puppet show (maybe in Urdu to encourage Urdu learning?), invite family (in person or on Zoom) and have a great time!
Paper Bag Puppets: Supplies needed
You will need small paper bags, markers, scissors, coloured paper, glue, and any craft supplying lying around at home such as: pompons, ribbons, felt etc.
Putting the Paper Bag Puppets Together
Draw or paint a face on the bottom section of a lunch bag. Add details with markers and glue on a pompon nose. Cut out ears, legs and a tail from the coloured paper. Paint more details on them. Glue the ears, legs and tail on the bag. Viola! You have a puppet!
Let the kids get creative and use their imagination. My children loved this craft and made many different puppets aligned with their own interests.
Paper Bag Puppets Show
Plan a puppet show with the paper bag puppets:
- Brainstorm a story first and once that is finalized, write a script.
- Create paper bag puppets for each of your characters.
- Practice!
- Invite guests either in-person or over Zoom
- Put up a performance and have a great time!
Incorporate Urdu Learning
You can include Urdu learning in this activity by putting the puppet show together in Urdu. This will help increase children’s vocabulary and interest in Urdu. This is especially relevant for children who have a passive knowledge of Urdu and live outside of South Asia. Such children have a limited exposure to Urdu in their environment, usually limited to their own family. Creative activities such as putting on a puppet show helps increase their confidence also and develops fond associations with the language.
Hope you enjoy putting these puppets together. Let me know if you try the paper bag puppets!